The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-02-19

by an offer Of more preserves, which was
accepted with evident surprise.
''They are very rich and handsome" re-
marked Tom, who felt that he was expected
to say something; and for some unknown
reason felt somewhat embarrassed.
''You should have seen our lovely china,'
Mr.. Stratton,'' said Miss Tessy, with little
sigh. "But it was very frail and delicate;
and while mamma was i'll, and Lou and |
were away at school, the servants broke
every piece.'
Miss Revere sighed. The interesting
melancholy of Mr. Revere's face deepened
Their guest came to the rescue with deli
cate compliment to the effect that exquisite
taste did not need costly things to make
home beautiful. Whereupon there was
general brightening-up, and gentle hilar-
ity soon circulated round the board, which
evidently produced forgetfulness even in
Mrs. Reveres haunted breast.
After tea the young people adjourned to
the little garden Miss Revere sang to the
| music of the tinkling guitar Tessy's dark,
| Spanish eyes were radiant in the moonlight
| A flower dropped from the heavy coils of
her hair, and moment afterwards was re-
| posing in Tom Stratton's vest pocket. There
was fragrance of sweet peas in the air
| The lamplight from within lent romance
| to the shadows without.
Mr.. Tom Stratton went home to dream all
| night, not of .Te.sy, though her beauty and
brightness had been all that was in his mind
when he closed his eyes-but Of the silver
| goblets which had graced the Revere table
| They flashed before his vision in sort of
| silver and gold nightmare. Grotesque
hooking faces rose from their shining bowls
| and fixed their gaze upon him. whichever
| way he mighttur They waltGed in couples
before his pathway. They poured cold and
acrld water IN slow, torturing streams
over mis- face. They talked in strange,
madly, unintellibblc jargon, and sur
| rounded him on every side.
Then the scene changed, and he saw his
venerable grandmother lift one of the COB
let's to hor lips, to drink what he knew to be
a deadly poison. And yet he was powerless
to stay her hand. He could not speak; he
could only watch her with horrible fascin-
alton as she slowly drained the fatal liquid,
| drop by drop.
Finally, after repeated and agonized eff
| forts, he succeeded in giving utterance to
| a stihed cry, and the sound of his own voice
| awoke him, only to fall asleep and dream
| the same thing over again. A cold perspira-
| ton stood upon his forehead, and he was
| shivering as if with cold in the warm sam
| mer night.
But in the morning all effects of the
] nightmare had vanished, and he laughed at
| it's aosurdity. Lobster salad is more
| powerful than an evil conscience in
conjuring up frightful dreams," he
said to himself. And he went to walk
with Tessy Revere, and forgot every
thing in the charm of her society.
| But he did experience singular sensa-
| ton, when, a day or two afterwards, he
| called at the cottage, and Mrs. Revere
| brought him wine in one of those silver
| goblets which had played such antics in his
| dreams
Mrs. Revere" said he 81 am convinced
| that those goblets have strange history"
And he laughingly related the story of his
| experience with them.
A queer expression fitted over her face.
Miss Revere looked startled, and fixed her
! keen dark eyes upon his face with search
| ing scrutiny.
Haven't they a history" said Miss
| Tessy, lightly. They have been pressed
| by the hips of Revoiutionists; they have
! served at solemn and sacred feasts, and then
| at the yayest merrymakings. They have
| glittered with compounds to drown French
|
| have served at bridals and funerals, they
| have glittered in the gloom of prison-lil1e
salons, and sparkled in the sunshine of an
outdoor Bohemian holiday. Who will write
poem on the goblets"
| Tom Stratton was falling in love with
| Tessy Revere; but he was fastidious youth,
| and sometimes her speech Jared upon his
| ear, though it was more her tone than the
words which she spake which was unpleas-
| ant in this case. He had not yet reached
| the point where blindness sets in, and the
| dissasesbecomes incurable, but he was fast
approaching it.
| A week passed by, and blue, bright,
| beautiful Sunday dawned upon Bramleigh.
| 1t was communion Sunday, and an unusual
| air of sacredness seemed to pervade the fine
old church A great pyramid of white lilies
| shone upon the table in front of the pulpit,
which was already spread for the feast of
| holy remembrance so dear to tn e church in
all nations.
Tessy, in a pale pink bonnet, sat within
| tho glow ofa stained window, looking more
beautiful than ever; and Tom Stratton gazed
at her, and forgot both service and sermon.
He was not commandment, but he remained
in the church after the congregation was
dismissed, for tho sake of escorting Mrs
Leeds, his maternal grandmother, to her
home. She was sweet old lady, and hGr
grandchildren We'd with each other in doing
her service. But it can not be denied that
he would rather have gone home with Tessy
to-day, if his venerable relative had been
otherwise provided for, and Re fanced that
there was shade Of disappointment in her
face, as she paused a moment in the door
way, giving one quick, backward glance.
He leaned back in the pew when she was
gone, and gave himself up to dreamy sort
Of reverie. He heard the solemn music Of
the choir, and the words of the minister at
the table, as he poured the wine, but was
not really conscious of any thing until he
was suddenly aroused by the sight Of the
dear old lady at his side holding the silver
goblet which contained the sacred wine to
her lips. He shivered, n mist came over his
eyes, he felt the blood leaving his lips and
cheeks, more than the horror of his dream
overpowered him for a moment She looked
exactly as she had looked in the dream,
holding the sacred goblet to her lips, and il
was one Of the very goblets from which he
had drank so unsuspiciously at the Revere's
table. 1t was Of plain, massive style, with
no distinctive marks about it. There might
be millions Of other such goblets in the
world, but Still he was as sure that it was